Our first family home

On beautiful autumn days I start to feel homesick. I’m homesick for where we live now, in the Berkshire countryside, with placid lakes and tangled woodland on our doorstep.

I remember the first time we discovered the countryside at the back of our cottage. Having viewed the house in the dark, we fell in love with the beams and the log fire and the exposed brick. We were completely oblivious of what else the place held; the hedgerows, the lovely country pub, the canal and the lakes.

We moved to this cottage from a two bedroom flat in the centre of Reading. I was 3 months pregnant and we were ready to give up the pub / restaurant / club lifestyle and live a simpler one. We wanted stairs and a room where we could eat at the table, rather than on our laps in front of the TV.

We rent our home and it’s served us well. It’s the place I brought my newborn baby home to. It’s the place where I nested like a mad pregnant woman. It’s the place where I spent 18 months working from home and watching my baby turn into a little girl.

It’s not our forever home though. The last year has been a busy one. The 70 hour weeks I’ve pulled since January (with only 2 weeks holiday) have been for a bigger cause. We have a dream of bagging one of those elusive first time buyer mortgages one day, so that we can have more babies and put down proper roots. We imagine rooms painted to our own taste, DIY projects and a sense of security we’ve never had living in a rented home.

Comments

Deep down, you DO love it…….it’s just that sometimes, the stresses & strains of everyday life simply act as a fog to what’s right in front of us!!
The trick is to breath – to close your eyes (& try not to fall asleep) for a minute, take a deep breath then start again……chances are, a walk in the woods with a leaf pile the size of Everest that you can run through like a Woman possessed ought to sort you out!!!

Mortgages are overrated!!! If I had my time again, I don’t know if I would bother. It used to be buy a place so you have security for future generations but nowdays, future generations are fending for themselves!!!!!!!!

If we lived in a different country where renting was the norm (like Germany, for example) I think it would be different. For us, it’s about the fact we could be asked to move any time the landlord decides to sell (even though they’re lovely and would give us notice etc) and that makes us feel a bit insecure and like our future decisions aren’t necessarily our own. Also, the thought of being 70 and having to meet rent every month is a bit scary. But I can totally see where you’re coming from. Maybe the answer is to move to the continent. Or maybe not…

As I prepare to leave my little house where I’ve painted all the walls and turned it from a neglected heap to a home via big project. I’ve to realise bricks and mortar matter but what matters more in the people inside. They make the home. You will be rewarded with home in the future. Where you are now might not be forever but it sounds good location wise. Phil & Kirsty think that matters most.

Phil and Kirsty would definitely approve of the countryside on our doorstep! I think it’s a good thing in a way, as living here has made me realise what’s important for us when we do eventually buy our own place. And you’re right, it’s the people inside and not the colour of the walls that make a house a home. x

We are almost in the same position minus the baby! Which is a hugh part of the deal. I am thrilled in a way the bank have agreed we are eligible for a good mortgage but not the worst part is ahead: saving £23,000! a miserable prospect! LOL

Yikes. £23,000 IS a miserable prospect isn’t it?! Good news on being eligible though, that’s a huge part of the battle. I think we’re of a generation that really missed out with the whole mortgage situation. Since the recession I have SO many friends my age (late 20s / early 30s) who earn a decent income, have good jobs etc etc but can’t ever imagine owning their own home. Unless you earn enough to save a huge chunk every month or have parents who can help you out, you’re left in the middle, struggling to save the amount that’s needed these days. You’ll get there in the end, when it happens we’ll have to have a huge joint house party! x

Molly, bless you.. your home (for the time being) looks amazing (from my limited knowledge of pics I’ve seen on your blog..) The mortgage, and with it your next home, will come. I am often so jealous of the things you write about, it sounds like your life is so perfect and wonderful! Seems like you’ve come a long way already from the flat.. you created a family and you are clearly focussed on the end goal, that’s enough to be proud of. Pretty soon I am sure there will be some pics posted here of F running around in her next home. I wish you only the very best. You’ve worked so hard for it x

Oh! I feel your emotion in your writing. Looks like a wonderful place to live and you will learn to love it again. For someone who does own, that can also come with its issues too. We had bad neighbours and its ruined it for me. Although a 2 bedroom, there is a lot that can be done but I’m just not in to it but like you, I need to learn to love it again. We had considered moving and renting, selling up. I hope you don’t burn yourself out too much with working and hope you achieve your dream

You sound like a very wise lady – very much echoing what my own mum tells me. I guess our home is where our family is, but I can imagine how external factors like bad experiences with neighbours could put you off your little corner of the world. It’s such a shame though, I hope you learn to love your place again too. x

I really hope that the 70 hour weeks will not go on too long! Where you live now looks idyllic, and even though I do now own my own home I agree with Super Amazing Mum that sometimes renting looks like a tempting option lol!

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Oh, hi there!

Hi, I'm Molly. Mum, journalist, adventurer, interiors addict, juggler and lover of posh salt and vinegar crisps and cold glasses of wine. This is where you'll find a collection of my thoughts and photographs on all things mum life related (and some not). Expect opinion, travel inspiration, interiors lusting and plenty of other stuff that doesn't easily fall into a blog category. I'm also the founder of family interiors site Roost-blog.com, if pretty homes are your bag. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…